15th Annual RUFORUM General Meeting (AGM) to be held at the University of Cape Coast, Ghana

Cape Coast, March 1, 2019: The 15th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM) will be held at the University of Cape Coast (UCC) in Ghana from 2-6 December, 2019. It will be the first AGM to be hosted in West Africa following RUFORUM’s strategic geographical expansion in 2014 to include Universities in Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria, Togo, Sierra Leone and Senegal.

The 15th AGM will run under the theme: Delivering on Africa’s Universities Agenda for Higher Agricultural Education, Science, Technology and Innovation (AHESTI): What will it take?

Africa’s efforts to attain sustainable and inclusive economic growth and development as enshrined in the Agenda 2063 and the global Agenda 2063 is at heightened levels. Accordingly, Universities in Africa have immense responsibility to translate these aspirations into products, services and competitive innovations. Higher education institutions are therefore at the centre of these processes in science, technology and innovation. The Africa’s Universities Agenda for Higher Agricultural Education, Science, Technology and Innovation (AHESTI) provides an operational framework for delivering espoused contributions of higher education to Africa’s transformation. Universities in Africa that will convene in Ghana will have the opportunity to deliberate on what it will take to translate the AHESTI framework into reality as part of unlocking the innate potential of Africa’s higher education institutions.

This 15th AGM coincides with RUFORUM’s 15th anniversary celebration, a year after the ratification of the RUFORUM Vision 2030 Strategy and its Five-year Operational Plan (20182022). During this AGM, RUFORUM will reflect and learn from its programme implementation, and concretise on the directions and strategies for the realisation of RUFORUM Vision 2030 Strategy.

This AGM is anticipated to be attended by about 400 delegates including Ministers of Agriculture and Education and their respective Permanent Secretaries, Vice Chancellors, Principals and Deans, partners and Heads of development institutions, private sector leaders, farmers and farmer representatives, emerging and early career researchers and young entrepreneurs from especially Ghana and other West African countries. Universities, private sector actors and young entrepreneurs shall have the opportunity to showcase their innovations, products and services, network and broker partnerships with one another.

RUFORUM shall recoganise farmers that have made significant contribution to agricultural transformation in Ghana as part of supporting national efforts for the advancement and transformation of agriculture. RUFORUM shall also recognise scientists and other actors that have made significant contribution and supported the advancement of excellence in research and higher education for the development of Africa. This recognition will be undertaken under the IMPRESSA Awards. Young Innovators and Entrepreneurs from West Africa will be recognised as part of promoting the contribution of youth to economic growth and development of Africa and the need to provide youth with a platform to demonstrate their potential.

A number of Pre-AGM Side events will take place and will include; Post-Doctoral fellows training, targeted skill enhancement training for University Principals and Deans, Leadership and management training for the Forum for Women Vice Chancellors in Africa (40 Vice Chancellors), Social media training for students from RUFORUM member universities in Ghana, a learning event on indigenous chicken production in Africa and a business and entrepreneurship training by the Institute of Business at University of Cape Coast for Young Innovators and entrepreneurs.